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New Braunfels Herald Zeitung (Newspaper) - February 24, 1987, New Braunfels, Texas
Sports
Pagaft
Herald-Zeltung, New Braunfels, Texas
Tuesday, February 24,1987
Tired Howser calls it quits
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Dick Howser, looking thin and frail in the bright Florida sunshine, picked up a baseball and heaved it toward the pitchers mound 60 feet away.
Nearby, a group of his friends looked at each other and winced. The ball did not get halfway to its target.
Howser had vowed that two operations for a cancerous brain tumor and hour upon hour of radiation treatments would not keep him from managing the Kansas City Royals this season.
But he was wrong.
And no one who had watched him labor and struggle sine opening training camp on Saturday morning was surprised when he admitted he was wrong.
“I just found out I couldn’t do it,” Howser said at an emotional news conference Monday. ’’I’m just not going to try to do it. That’s all.”
Standing behind him was Billy Gardner, the former Minnesota Twins manager who was added to the staff just n case this very emergency presented itself.
The Royals are Billy Gardner’s team now, though Gardner is more than willing to give it back.
“Dick,” Gardner said, “Any time you feel up to it, just say so and I’ll be glad to step aside and turn this job back over to you.”
That’s not likely to happen.
Howser’s weakness was obvious the minute he arrived in Fort Myers. His movements were slow. His speech was deliberate. He had lost about 17 pounds and seemed to tire easily. His feeble attempt at throwing the ball to pitcher Bud Black on that first morning saddened everyone who witnessed it.
“You could just tell he really didn’t have the strength you’ve got to have for 162 games. It’s just such a long season,” said third baseman George Brett, one of the few non-pitchers who came to camp early. “I don’t think he was strong enough to endure it. He made a good try. Hopefully, he can get strong and come back and manage us again next year.”
Just seven months ago, Howser was on top of the
world. His Royals had beaten Toronto in the American League playoffs and St. Louis in the 1985 World Series. Then, in July he managed the American League to victory in the All-Star Game.
But Howser was beginning to complain to close friends of severe headaches. People wondered about his memory lapses and frequent slips of the tongue. During an All-Star Game news conference. he called a couple of players by the wrong name.
Back home in Kansas City, Nancy Howser insisted that her husband see a doctor. A CAT scan revealed a tumor. Then on July 22. one week after the All-Star Game, doctors removed part of a malignant growth the size of a golf ball on the right front of the brain. Over the winter a second, experimental operation was performed when billions of cancer-killing cells were injected into the area.
An old friend, third base coach Mike Ferraro, served as interim manager as the Royals limped to a 76-86 record and finished third in the American League West last year.
N B sweeps in tennis
New Braunfels’ varsity tennis team took three dual matches since Friday.
The Unicorns defeated Canyon 8-0 on Friday.
In singles play, John Hernandez defeated Patrick Manley. Kick Shirley downed Ryan Dillard, l^eigh Ann Forney bested l^aura Buryanek and Rachel Forney defeated Heather Way.
In doubles competition the team of Clark-Bergquist downed Jones-Spencer. Langabeer Seidel defeated Larton-Sellars. Cerrato-l^eyh upended Minica-Krieg and Dufour-Smith outlasted Cade-Wier
On Saturday, the Unicorns blasted Samuel Clemens by an identical score Winners among the boys' singles were Hernandez. Shirley, Todd Bergquist and Kris Ray The doubles teams of Clark-Bergquist and Langabeer-Ray won for New Braunfels
Scoreboard
The Unicom girls swept its competition, with Rachel Forney, Sheri Langabeer. Adrienne Isley and Brande Pickin all winning.
The teams of Cerrato-Leyh. Smith-Dufour, Walker-Reidel and Kahler-Kahler all won as well for New Braunfels.
On Monday the Unicorns defeated San Marcos 6-2. Again, the girls swept their matches. Cindy Dufour, langabeer and Kayci Kahler won in singles play while the teams of Cerrato-Leyh, Smith-Dufour. Walker-Reidel and Kahler-Kahler also were victorious.
The boys won two doubles matches with Clark-Bergquist and Langabeer-Ray prevailing. In singles, the Unicom boys took four of five matches. Winners were Hernandez, Shirley. Bergquist and Ray.
New Braunfels hosts Seguin at 3 .30 p m today and meets Mason and Uvalde in Mason beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday.
On the air
TUBSOAV
I pa. — Hockey: Edmonton at Pltt-tixirgh. ESPN Spin. — College basketball: Arkansas at Texas AAM. KRRT I p m - College basketball West Virginia at Temple CSA
• 06 p.m. - Pro basketball Houston at Denver. WTBS
• SO p m — Boxing John Meekins vs Harold Brasier. NABF Junior
Boerne
Canyon
Clemens
Hays
Kerrville Tivy Friday's Barnes S.A Holmes al canceled due to rain
Welterweight title
WIDMISOAV
Upton International Players Championships ESPN • p m - College basketball. Prtvidonce at Seton Hall. ESPN 6:90pm -Collegebasketball: DePaul al Noire Dame. WCN.
Local sports
TUESDAY 4:90 BJ Braunfels 4:90pm
Soccer Taft at Now
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Soccer: Caama at Boerne
4:90 p m. - Soccer SmMkom Valley at Hays
4:90 p.m. - Baseball: Sen Marcos at NivlramMi —
4:90p.m. - Baseball: SmithssaVallay
ft pjB. - Baseball: Alamo Haifa* at Canyon
TBersdey-latordov • aoabatl: Caayon at tbs Fredericksburg tournament
J ft:M pjB. — Bamball: Smithson Valley -gam Memos.
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District 24-5A
Smithson Valley,
New BraunMe4. Bemeet
Clemens 2. Canyon!
Hays del. Kerrville Tivy radar's Pimas S A. Taft al New BroimW Smithson Valley al Hays Canyon at Boerns Kerrville Ttvy at Clemens
Basketball
New Braunfels Basketball League Team
Mr Gaul s Pizza hut Nephews Budweiser Interns
West Point Pepperell Pantera’s Pizza Witek’s Body Shop Last week's Dames Pizza Hut 41. Witek’s 80 Budweiser 07. Interns 90 Mr Cetu s 70. Pantera’s 40
^WaMPoint Pepperell vs. Pamirs’s Pizza
Pizza Hut va. Nephews Mr. Gatti’s vs. Budweiser
Collage basketball
By Associated Press
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Rockets blow out Nuggets
HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Rockets cured their shooting woes at a bad time for the slumping, bad-luck Denver Nuggets.
The Rockets, who shot only 43 percent in beating Utah on Saturday, hit 61 percent from the field as they blew out the Nuggets 124-108 in NBA play Monday night.
Denver has lost four straight games and seven of its last eight en route to a 5-24 road record this season.
“It s depressing.’’ Denver Coach Doug Moe said. “Ifs like you get up and your wife left you and the kids won’t talk to you. Ifs tough to get excited.”
While the Nuggets were suffering, the Rockets blossomed with 31 points and 14 rebounds by Akeem Olajuwon and a career-high 22 points by Jim Petersen. And forward Cedric Maxwell hit a free throw in the first quarter for his 10,000th career point.
Petersen has been the starting replacement for Ralph Sampson, who is sidelined for the second time this season.
Olajuwon scored 16 of his points in
NBA
By Th# Associated Press
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
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Pct.
GB
Boston
41 14
.745
—
Philadelphia
31 24
.564
IO
Washington
29 25
.537
ll1*
New York
16 38
.296
244
New Jersey
13 40
.245
27
Central Division
Detroit
35 17
.673
—
Atlanta
33 20
.623
24
Milwaukee
35 22
.614
2* a
Chicago
26 25
.510
84
Indiana
27 27
.500
9
Cleveland
22 33
.400
144
WBSTenti COMPHKSNCK
Midwest Division
Dallas
35 19
.648
—
Utah
30 23
566
44
Houston
29 24
547
54
Denver
23 32
.418
124
San Antonio
19 35
.352
16
Sacramento Pacific Division
17
36
.321
174
L.A. Lakers
41
13
.759
—
Portland
34
21
.618
74
Seattle
27
28
.491
141 a
Golden State
27
30
.474
154
Phoenix
22
32
.407
19
L.A. Clippers Monday's Games
9
43
.173
31
Boston HO. New Jersey 103 Atlanta 112. Philadelphia 103 Cleveland 109, Washington 105 Houston 124. Denver IOO Dallas 121. Golden State 95 Seattle 124, LA. Clippers 112 Teday's Games Detroit at New Jersey Portland at New York Atlanta at Chicago Indiana at Milwaukee Sacramento at San Antonio Houston at Denver Seattle at Utah L. A. Lakers at Phoenix
the third quarter when Houston took charge of the game. Petersen took up the beat in the fourth quarter with IO of his 22 points.
“We always try to play well against our arch-rivals like Denver and Dallas.” Petersen said.
“Anytime we can kick them it’s a goodnight.”
Mays 121, Warriors 95
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - The Dallas Mavericks left the Golden
State Warriors demoralized at the end of a Saturday night game and. two nights later, gave them an early reminder of that feeling.
“We had a few lapses," Mavericks Coach Dick Motta insisted.
But none were in the first four minutes of Monday night’s game, which Dallas won 121-95 to make its record 35-19, fourth best in the NBA. The Mavs streaked to a 12-0 lead, with guard Brad Davis scoring five of the points, and were ahead 31-12 at the end of the opening period.
The Warriors were down by as many as 24 points in the second quarter, and center Joe Barry Carroll left the game four minutes before halftime because of a sprained left thumb. Jerome Whitehead, the team's backup center, was unavailable because of a foot injury.
In his fourth game as a starter, filling in for injured Derek Harper. Davis scored a season-high 24 points. Rolando Blackman, the other starting guard, had '25 points and forward Mark Aguirre had 19. while Sleepy Floyd led Golden State with 24.
Tom Labinski
But the basketball season was just getting under way
The Comal County high school basketball season came to an abrubt halt In Kerrville on Friday following New Braunfels’ toes.
If the 1986-87 season seemed a tad short, it was because, for the first time in recent memory, no local team made it to the playoffs. And if the season seemed unusually long for some teams, it was for the same reason.
But the six local teams did not go down without a fight, especially the teams from New Braunfels High School.
Sure, the Unicom boys were disappointed after their loss to the Tivy Antlers, a defeat which dropped the team from a three-way tie for drat into sole possession of third place and a spectator's spot in the playoff proceedings But the team came a long way to get there, especially after having lost four starters and the head coach from the team which was fighting its way into the state semifinals this time leat year.
With precious little varsity experience to go around and a brand new coach, New Braunfels was not expected to be be in the upper echelon of the district, e status it truly deserved by year'* end.
The Unicom girls were favored to be among the best teems in this year’s race, and the team stuck together and (aced the problems that go along with being a favorite.
It's probably little consolation to the team that IU season lasted a game longer then everyone else s. The Unicorns finished in a two-way Ue for second piece in District IMA, losing to Boerne in a head-to-head shoot-out for a playoff berth.
As one faithful Boeme-backer said, the Lady Greyhounds played the game of their lives against New Braunfels in Schertz and whether they could match the effort in the playoffs has yet to be seen.
With the caliber of players coming from the district’s co-champion junior variety team and with the varsity players who are returning, It should bo “Same Time. Next Year” for New Braunfels.
Smithson Valley’s teams figured to struggle after moving from a mediocre Claes JA district into a strong Class 4A grouping.
The Rangerettee in particular had the upgrading foisted un them at an inopportune time — after having lost almost the entire teem
which made the playoffs last year.
Playing seven tough district teems took its toll on the Rangerettes in the standings, but the team never gave up.
Anyone who saw them being overpowered by New Braunfels in the last week of the season will surely remember Smithson Valley hustling up and down the court and diving for loose balls, long after the contest was no longer in doubt.
The Rangerettes were probably thinking "next year” as soon as anybody, but they never let that get in their way on game day.
Smithson Valley’s boys team put up a valiant struggle in its first season in Class 4A. Only a late nine-game losing string sent the team into a three-way tie in the ceiler.
At one point the Rangers were 3-4 in 13-4A games and had given New Braunfels the scare of tho lesion. The Unicorns turned fourth-quarter comebacks into an art form, but New Braunfels’ SO-48 win over Smithson Valley was as close to the edge as a team can Bol and still get a return ticket.
The Rangers weren't the most talented team to suit up, but they played well as a team. When they were ’on,’ there wasn’t a more enjoyable group to watch.
Canyon's girls finished In the middle of the pack this year with a 7-9 record, flirting with the SOO mark all season long, but never quite passing it.
Because the volleyball team reached the state finals, the Cougaretteo’ first day on the court turned out to be the district opener. No scrimmages. no non-district games, not even a tournament. Canyon was thrown into the tiro on Day Ona.
It's understandable if fatigue aet in for the team about halfway through the schedule. A good portion of the team played volleyball as well, which means seven months of practice and games without a break.
TO their credit, tho Cougarottaa wort never a pullover. The Unicorns, Boerne and Fredericksburg had to be ready to play Canyon. and tbs foam always mads their opponents work.
Canyon's boys loam had more than a tow obstacles thrown IU way during tho aeaon, not tho least of which was having only two sonlors
OSK VL CLAS K/ltaM
on the entire squad To say the district season got off to a rocky start is to put it mildly — the Cougars were 0-11 at the end of January.
But the team finished strong, winning three of IU last five games behind the pity of an unusually talented bevy of underclassmen. Canyon’s team of the lest throe weeks is the team you can expect to see from them for the next few years.
Sure, basketball is history — even before it had a chance to really get exciting. But there's no time to mourn IU passing. Even as we speak, baseball teams are playing their season openers today, and the first track meets of the season are this weekend.
Just because there is no one left playing on the hardwood doesn’t mean we didn't have one of the mort memorable of seasons.
lf we’re not steeped in pleyoff-menie, ifs not due to lack of effort. As Leon Sneed so succinctly put it, “that’s the way the bali bounces.”
Astros open spring training without Davis
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HOUSTON (AP) - Houston Astros (Int baseman Glenn Davis won’t bn among the infielders and outfielders reporting to the club s aping training today In KMMmmos. FU., IBs agent Beys.
Agent Gerry Hunslckar said his client wns disappointed with the outcome of mgstt slims Monday with General Manager Dick Wafter and
would not take part inuring training until a decimals reached on his 1807 contract.
IIUMirksr sad Wafter met tor BB
to bridge the I9ft.ftftft gap bot worn the partita. Beth Mdsa •xprssasd disappointment at Bm outcome of the
I cams hora randy to try ta mach
so Glenn could report d start working out Hunslckar said late Monday alg*. “Originally, I fait this was a critical period and had planned to May ham all week. I'm not sum what my puns am now."
"Cima la upset over the whole thing.’' Hunslckar said. "We came down significantly on our offer today.
Rig* now, we’re at a point wtu there's a flat-out difference of c aion. I just don't know wham wo
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Davis’ original salary demand h dropped (rom 8300,800 lo BMO,I betorn it was amended again Mi day. The Astros have countered wl an ofter of HIO,OOO.
Play ball
LKSLII ICH ll WALDT/Stett Photographer
New baseball uniforms arrived at Smithson Valley AAonday, lust in time for the start of the season. The 1987 campaign begins today with non-district games. New Braunfels will host San Marcos at 4:30 p.m. while Canyon hosts Alamo Heights at 5 p.m. The Rangers will show off their new gear in Luling, with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m.
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